15 spooky things to do with the kids

Chicago Park District

If you don’t have the time (or the car) to drive out to the collar counties to go pumpkin-picking, the Chicago Park District has your back: It brings the pumpkin patches to you! Kids can select and decorate their own pumpkin, then choose between a range of activities, from Halloween games to pony rides. The fun begins Oct. 1 at Ada Park, 11250 S. Ada St., and spreads around the city on weekends through Oct. 29. Free to attend; some activities cost $1-$4. http://tinyurl.com/y9ptlso7

Costumes are encouraged all month long inside Morton Arboretum’s four-acre Children’s Garden. Play games and make seasonal crafts, then plant a tree seed that you can take home. Fair warning, parents: Mini pumpkins are available for purchase for painting on the spot — which means you don’t have to clean up anything but your kid’s paint-splattered shmatte. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, Sept. 30 to Oct. 29, plus Columbus Day (Oct. 9) at the Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle. $14, $9 for kids 2-17; free parking. http://tinyurl.com/yapmtvga